Real Madrid goalkeeper and shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee leading him to miss the majority of the season.
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The 31-year-old Belgium international will have surgery in the coming days.
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Courtois, who clinched the best goalkeeper in the world at last year’s Ballon d’Or awards, has won Spain’s La Liga twice since joining Real in 2018.
He has recorded 230 appearances for Real Madrid, who play Athletic Bilbao in their first La Liga game of the season on Saturday.
Courtois won the Premier League twice with Chelsea before his move to Real in 2018 and La Liga once with Atletico Madrid in 2014.
He also won the Champions League in 2022, delivering a man-of-the-match performance in the final against Liverpool.
How long Courtois will be out?
The club did not specify how long Courtois will be out but reports in Spain suggest he will miss most of the season, if not all of it.
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Courtois suffered the injury during a morning training session and was left in tears.
To replace Madrid first choice goalkeeper in the team is Ukraine’s Andriy Lunin, with Madrid to play Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in their first game of the season.
However, at Madrid, the 24-year-old Lunin has played 17 times for the club since arriving the same summer as Courtois.
Belgium Courtois will also be straggling over his fitness for Euro 2024.
“Following tests carried out on Thibaut Courtois, he has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” Madrid said in a statement.
Thibaut Courtois’ abrupt injury just ahead of the 2023-24 season will now force Real Madrid to take a deep dive into the transfer market.
This means Madrid is in dire need to get a replacement and as per reports from MARCA and AS, Los Blancos have set their sights on the following six goalkeepers: David de Gea, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Keylor Navas, Bono, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Dominik Livakovic.
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Carlo Ancelotti is not in favour of Real Madrid signing former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to replace Thibaut Courtois, according to reports in Spain.
